This is a list of Asian Australians who have served as members of Australian federal, state, or territory legislatures. Despite Australia's proximity to Asia, as well as the significant and increasing minority of Australians belonging to an Asian ethnicity, the Australian Parliament is considered to be particularly under-representative of its constituents of Asian descent in comparison to other Western multicultural democracies with members of minority groups making up only about 6 percent of Parliament.

Classification

Officeholders 20 Asian Australian people have been members of the Parliament of Australia (the Federal Parliament), including ten each in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most common represented ethnicity are Chinese Australian (nine) and Indian Australian (three). There are eight incumbent Asian Australian parliamentarians as of 2022.

Federal Parliament

Senate

SenatorEthnicityPartyStateTenureNotesChineseFirst Asian-born migrant to be elected to ParliamentLiberalVictoria1 July 199930 June 2005Chinese (Malaysian Chinese)First Asian-born member of Cabinet, First Asian-Australian foreign minister, and the first openly LGBTI person to hold the officeLaborSouth Australia1 July 2002IncumbentIndianFirst woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to ParliamentLaborTasmaniaChinesePalmer UnitedWestern Australia1 July 20142 July 2016PakistaniFirst Muslim woman to attain any political office in Australia; first Muslim woman senator to be elected to ParliamentGreensNew South WalesIncumbentAfghanLabor (to 2024)Australia's Voice (from 2024)Western Australia1 July 2022IncumbentIndianLiberalNew South Wales30 November 2023IncumbentIndianLaborWestern Australia1 February 2024Incumbent

House of Representatives +MemberEthnicityPartyDivisionStateTenureNotesTerm startTerm endChinese (Hong Konger)LiberalRyanQueensland10 November 200120 May 2010Independent20 May 201021 August 2010SingaporeanLiberal/IndependentMooreWestern Australia7 September 20133 May 2025Chinese (Hong Konger)LiberalChisholmVictoria18 May 201921 May 2022First Chinese Australian woman to be elected to the HouseIndianLiberalWentworthNew South Wales18 May 201921 May 2022Second Australian ambassador of Indian heritageSri LankanLaborHigginsVictoria21 May 202228 March 2025Sri LankanLaborHoltVictoria21 May 2022IncumbentVietnameseIndependentFowlerNew South Wales21 May 20228 May 2023First Vietnamese-born member to be elected to ParliamentDai Le and Frank Carbone Network8 May 2023IncumbentChinese (Malaysian Chinese)LaborTangneyWestern Australia21 May 2022IncumbentIndianLaborSwanWestern Australia21 May 2022IncumbentChinese (Laotian Australians)LaborReidNew South Wales21 May 2022IncumbentSri LankanLaborBartonNew South Wales3 May 2025IncumbentChineseLaborMoretonQueensland3 May 2025IncumbentChinese (Singaporean Chinese)LaborMenziesVictoria3 May 2025IncumbentIndianLiberal NationalMcPhersonQueensland3 May 2025IncumbentChinese (Malaysian Chinese)LaborBanksNew South Wales3 May 2025Incumbent

State and local government

Governors GovernorsEthnicityStateTenureNotesTerm startTerm endVietnameseSouth Australia1 September 201431 August 2021First person of Asian heritage to be appointed a state governor in Australia. First person of Vietnamese background to be appointed to a vice-regal position anywhere in the world.

Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly +MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endKoreanLiberalKurrajong15 October 2016IncumbentFirst East Asian-Australian to lead a major political party in Australia.IndianLaborYerrabi23 July 201917 October 2020First Indian-born person to hold the position of MLA in the Australian Capital Territory. First MLA to be sworn in on the Bhagwat Gita, representing his Hindu faith.

Parliament of New South Wales MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endBengaliLaborLondonderry8 June 2021IncumbentLaotianLaborMacquarie Fields28 March 2015IncumbentFirst politician of South-East Asian heritage to take a seat in the NSW ParliamentSingaporeanNationals9 August 2017IncumbentFirst person of Asian heritage to represent the Nationals in NSWPakistaniGreensHeffron19 June 201314 August 2018PunjabiNationals24 March 20076 January 2022ChineseLiberalParramatta26 March 201125 March 2023ChineseGreensNewtown28 March 2015IncumbentPunjabiLaborMonaro6 May 2015IncumbentChinese (Hong Konger)Liberal / Independent19 March 198828 February 2003IndianNationalsCoffs Harbour23 March 2019IncumbentChineseLabor27 March 19993 December 2009Chinese (Hong Konger)Labor24 May 201323 March 2019ChineseLiberal / Unity Party27 March 199923 March 2007ArmenianLiberal 22 March 200330 December 2021

Parliament of the Northern Territory MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endChineseLaborArnhem7 October 199516 June 2005ChineseLaborKarama27 August 201628 October 2024ChineseFannie BayDecember 19625 August 1969IndianCountry LiberalSanderson28 August 2024IncumbentMalaysianCountry LiberalGreatorex19942007IndianLaborCasuarina18 October 201428 October 2024East TimoreseLaborKatherine27 August 201630 July 2020IndianCountry LiberalCasuarina28 August 2024IncumbentBangladeshiCountry LiberalFong Lim28 August 2024Incumbent

Parliament of Queensland MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endChinese (Hong Konger)LaborCapalaba17 February 200123 March 2012IndianLaborKurilpa22 October 19831 November 1986

Parliament of South Australia MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endMalaysian ChineseLiberalState-wide20 March 2010IncumbentJapaneseLiberalState-wide6 November 198219 March 2022VietnameseLaborState-wide15 March 2014IncumbentSingaporeanLiberalState-wide23 October 199010 October 1997

Parliament of Tasmania MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endIndianLaborDenison18 March 200613 April 2010

Parliament of Victoria MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endVietnameseLaborSouth Eastern Metropolitan Region24 November 201826 November 2022ChineseLaborClayton30 March 199629 November 2014Clarinda29 November 201424 November 2018VietnameseLaborMelbourne West ProvinceMay 1996November 2006Sri LankanLaborCranbourne25 November 200224 November 2018Sri LankanGreensNorthern Metropolitan Region19 October 2017IncumbentChineseLaborEastern Victoria Region29 November 2014IncumbentCambodianLaborClarinda19 December 2018IncumbentVietnameseGreensWestern Metropolitan Region21 February 201824 November 2018IndianLabor / Independent / New DemocratsWestern Metropolitan Region24 November 201826 November 2022Sri LankanLaborEumemmerring19851992Chinese (Malaysian Chinese)LiberalWarrandyte26 August 2023IncumbentIndianLaborMulgrave18 November 2023Incumbent

Parliament of Western Australia MemberEthnicityPartyConstituencyTenureNotesTerm startTerm endChineseLaborMining and Pastoral Region22 May 200921 May 2013IndianLaborState-wide8 March 2025IncumbentIndianLaborRiverton13 March 2021IncumbentChinese (Malaysian Chinese)LaborBibra Lake8 March 2025IncumbentIndianLaborPilbara11 March 2017IncumbentIndianLabor Jandakot 11 March 2017 8 March 2025Oakford8 March 2025IncumbentVietnameseLaborEast Metropolitan RegionNovember 2007May 2009MyanmaLaborCannington8 March 2025IncumbentChineseLabor South Metropolitan Region22 May 20218 March 2025State-wide8 March 2025Incumbent

Councilors and Mayors

MemberEthnicityPositionTenureNotesTerm startTerm endHarry ChanChineseMayor of Darwin19661969Alec Fong LimChineseLord Mayor of Darwin1 June 19849 August 1990Hong KongerLord Mayor of MelbourneJuly 2001November 2008First Lord Mayor of Melbourne of Chinese descent.ChineseLord Mayor of Darwin3 April 20124 September 2017Daniel LimMalaysian ChineseCouncillor of City of Melville25 October 2023VietnameseMaribyrnong City Council9 November 2021ChineseCumberland City CouncilBangladeshiCumberland City CouncilVietnameseBrimbank City CouncilSteven HuangTaiwaneseCouncillor for MacGregor Ward (Brisbane) 2011Present

See also

Asian Australians Asian Australian History Asian Immigration to Australia List of Asian Australians

Asian Americans Asian Americans in politics List of Asian Americans in politics List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress

Other List of ethnic minority politicians in the United Kingdom List of foreign politicians of Indian origin List of politicians of Chinese descent List of Indigenous Australian politicians List of Jewish members of Australian parliaments

Notes

References